Faucet



Feb. 12, 1935. w c ER 1,990,635

FAUCET Filed July 8, 1933 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FAUCET poration of Illinois Application July 8, 1933, Serial No. 679,543

Claims.

This invention relates to faucets particularly adapted for dispensing beer and similar beverages. In dispensing beer and other beverages of alike nature, it is desirable that the foam be kept at a 5 minimum and this can best be obtained by affording unrestricted flow for the beverage and it is one of the objects of my invention to afford such flow of a beverage through a faucet; and an ancillary object is to quickly unseat the valve member of the faucet so that substantially uniform flow will be afforded throughout a dispensing operation of the faucet.

It is essential that faucets used in the dispensing of beer and other yeast containing beverages be free of pockets and the like in which the beverage may collect for if the beverage collects in such pockets it may sour or otherwise deteriorate in such a way as to contaminate beverage flowing through the faucet in subsequent operations. Hence, another object of my invention is to entirely expel the beverage from the dispensing chamber after each operation of the faucet to prevent the beverage from collecting in the faucet.

Further objects are to provide a faucet which may be opened quickly so as to aflord uniform unimpeded discharge therefrom; to provide a faucet which may be opened but slightly so as to permit restricted discharge therefrom; and to provide a novel faucet of simple and economical construction and efllcient and positive operation.

In the accompanying drawing where selected embodiments of my invention are illustrated Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view;

Fig. 2 is a plan detail view of the dispensing chamber; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the invention.

The faucet of this invention includes a body 4 having the usual flared flange 5 at one end thereof adapted to be connected to a suitable flxture. The flared flange 5 is hollow to admit an inlet pipe 6 which is connected in a tapped opening 7. A passage 8 leads from the tapped opening 7 to the valve seat 9 in the dispensing chamber 10. The dispensing chamber 10 is preferably in the form of a recess having a smooth bottom wall and the recess is inclined toward a funnel-like outlet opening 11 so that when the valve member is disengaged from the valve seat 9, the beer or other beverage will freely flow through the chamber 10 into the outlet opening 11 and thence through the discharge spout 12.

The periphery of the body 4 about the dispensing chamber 10 is preferably threaded as indicated at 13 to receive the flanged nut 14. The edge of the dispensing chamber 10 is preferably flattened so that the marginal edge of a rubber diaphragm 15 may be rested thereon and a body 16 includes a peripheral flange 1'1 that is rested on the marginal edge of the diaphragm 15. The flange 17 is engaged by the nut 14 to tightly clamp the marginal edge of the diaphragm in position. A pin 18 is secured in the body 4 and is seated in a notch in the flange 1'1 so as to prevent rotative movement of the body 16 relative to the body 4.

The body 16 has a chamber 19 which is enlarged as indicated at 20 to receive a valve member 21 which has a boss 22 at the forward end thereof somewhat larger than the valve seat 9. A screw 23 passes through the diaphragm 15 centrally thereof and connects the diaphragm to the boss 22. The valve member includes a stem 24 which extends through the chamber 19 and a spring 25 is disposed about the stem 24 and normally acts on the valve member 21 to urge the boss 22 toward the valve seat 9. The stem 24 extends through a restricted opening 26 at the outer end of the chamber 19 and terminates in a lug 27 adapted to be mounted in a bifurcation 28 at the irmer end of the handle 29.

A cam face 30 is provided on the ends of the limbs of the handle 29 defining the bifurcation 28 and when the handle 29 is moved from the position A in Fig. 1 to the position B, this cam face rides the adjacent end of the body 16 and the plunger 24 is moved outwardly whereupon the diaphragm is moved away from the valve seat 9. The cam face 30 is so shaped that the diaphragm is quickly retracted so that substantially unrestricted passage is provided as soon as the diaphragm is disengaged from the valve seat especially since the area of the dispensing chamber 10 is materially greater than that of the passage 8. Hence, the beverage under pressure flows from the passage 8 into the dispensing chamber 10 which, as stated, is tapered toward the funnel like opening 11 and therefore the beverage quickly flows out through the discharge spout 12. When the handle 29 is moved from the position B back into the position A, the diaphragm is again reengaged with the valve seat and the diaphragm is also so flexed that it seats against the bottom of the chamber 10 thereby entirely expelling the beverage from the chamber. This prevents the accumulation of any of the beverage in the chamber where it might sour or otherwise deteriorate and then contaminate any beverage subsequently from the faucet.

In event a sumcient quantity of beverage is not dispensed in the operation of the faucet by moving the handle from the position A into the position B, a small additional amount of beverage may be dispensed by moving the handle from the position A into the position C, Fig. 1, and in this instance the handle fulcrums on the adiacent end of the body 16 and but slightly retracts the diaphragm from the valve seat 9 which thereby permits a small additional quantity of the beverage to flow out through the spout 12.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig.

3, the handle 29' is so arranged that it can only,

be moved toward a position corresponding to the position B of Fig. 1 for the bottom of the bifurcation is arranged in juxtaposition to the lug 27 which prevents the slight pivotal movement possible in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1. However, a slight additional quantity of beverage may be also dispensed in this form of the invention but in this instance the handle 29' is so pivoted that the cam surface 30' is utilized to effect limited opening of the valve.

It is manifest from the foregoing description that I have provided a faucet wherein the beverage is entirely expelled from the dispensing chamber in each operation of the faucet and therefore the beverage is prevented from collecting in the chamber. Furthermore, the discharge portions of the faucet are so shaped that unrestricted flow of the beverage therethrough is afforded and this is especially advantageous when the faucet is used. in the dispensing of beer for it tends to reduce the generation of foam. Moreover, the faucet is so arranged that but a slight quantity of beverage may be dispensed therefrom when so desired and this may be accomplished without fully opening the faucet.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred forms of my faucet, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the ambit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A faucet for dispensing a beverage and including an inclined dispensing chamber having a smooth wall and an inlet passage leading to and terminating in a valve seat located substantially medially of said smooth wall, said faucet also having a discharge spout leading from said smooth wall at the lower part of said chamber, a flexible diaphragm engageable with said smooth wall to close 011 said valve seat and discharge spout, means engageable with the marginal portions of said diaphragm for securing said diaphragm in position, yieldable means urging said diaphragm into engagement with said smooth wall to thereby entirely expel any beverage in the chamber from said chamber subsequent to the flow of beverage from saidinlet passage to said discharge spout, and operating means connected to said diaphragm and operable to retract said diaphragm from said valve seat and discharge spout to permit flow of the beverage through said chamber from said inlet passage to said discharge spout.

2. A faucet for dispensing a beverage and including an inclined dispensing chamber having a smooth \vall'and an inlet passage leading to and terminating in a valve seat located substantially medially of said smooth wall, said faucet also having a discharge spout leading from said smooth wall at the lower part of said chamber, a flexible diaphragm engageable with said smooth wall to close of! said valve seat and discharge spout, means engageable with the marginal portions of said diaphragm for securing said diaphragm in position, yieldable means urging said diaphragm into engagement with said smooth wall to thereby entirely expel any beverage in the chamber from said chamber subsequent to the flow of beverage from said inlet passage to said discharge spout, operating means connected to said diaphragm and operable to retract said diaphragm from said valve seat and discharge spout to permit flow of beverage through said chamber from said inlet passage to said discharge spout, a handle cooperating with the faucet body for operating said operating means and movable into alternate positions, the positioning of said handle in one of said alternate positions operating said operating means to retract said diaphragm and the positioning of said handle in the other of said alternate positions releasing said operating means whereby said yieldable means may freely act on said diaphragm, and means on said handle cooperating with the faucet body for holding said handle in either of said alternate positions.

3. A faucet for dispensing a beverage and including an inclined dispensing chamber having a smooth wall and an inlet passage leading to and terminating in a valve seat located substantially medially of said smooth wall, said faucet also having a discharge spout leading from said smooth wall at the lower part of said chamber, a flexible diaphragm engageable with said smooth wall to close off said valve seat and discharge spout, means engageable with the marginal portions of said diaphragm for securing said diaphragm in position, yieldable means urging said diaphragm into engagement with said smooth wall to thereby entirely expel any beverage in the chamber from said chamber subsequent to the flow of beverage from said inlet passage to said discharge spout, operating means connected to said diaphragm and operable to retract said diaphragm from said valve seat and discharge spout to permit flow of beverage through said chamber from said inlet passage to said discharge spout, a handle cooperating with the faucet body for operating said operating means and movable into alternate positions, the positioning of said handle in one of said alternate positions operating said operating means to retract said diaphragm and the positioning of said handle in the other of said alternate positions releasing said operating means whereby said yieldable means may freely act on said diaphragm, means on said handle cooperating with the faucet body for holding said handle in either of said alternate positions, and means on said handle adapted to engage the faucet body whereby said handle may be moved slightly beyond one of said alternate positions to operate said operating means to but slightly retract said diaphragm and thereby permit restricted flow of beverage through said chamber from said inlet chamber to said discharge spout.

4. A faucet for dispensing a beverage and including a body having an inclined open pocket at one end thereof and having an inlet passage leading to said pocket and terminating in a valve seat at the bottom of said pocket, said pocket having a smooth wall about said valve seat, a cap detachably connected to said body and closing sa d pocket to provide a chamber, a flexible diaphragm mounted in said chamber, resilient means mounted in said cap and acting on said diaphragm to force said diaphragm into engagement with said valve seat and said smooth wall to close off flow from said inlet passage and to entirely expel any beverage in the chamber from said chamber, said body having an outlet passage therein including a substantially funnel-=- shaped inlet at the lower end of said inclined pocket, and means in said cap and connected to said diaphragm and including an operable part whereby operation of said operable part will retract said diaphragm from said valve seat and from the smooth wall to permit flow of the beverage from said inlet passage through said chamber to said outlet passage.

5. A faucet for dispensing a beverage and including a body having an inclined open pocket at one end thereof and having an inlet passage leading to said pocket and terminating in a valve seat located substantially midway in the bottom of said pocket, said pocket having a smooth wall about said valve seat, a cap detachably connected to said body enclosing said pocket to provide a chamber, a flexible diaphragm mounted in said chamber, said cap having a recess therein and having an opening leading from said recess, a plunger mounted in said recess and connected to said diaphragm and including a rod. projecting through said opening and exteriorly of said cap, a spring mounted in said recess and acting on said plunger to force said diaphragm into engagement with said valve seat and said smooth wall to close off flow from said inlet passage and to entirely expel any beverage in the chamber from said chamber, said body having an. outlet passage therein including a substantially funnel-shaped inlet at the lower end of said inclined pocket, and a handle mounted on said cap and connected to said rod and including a part adapted to bear on said cap to retract said diaphragm from said valve seat and from the smooth wall to permit flow of the beverage from said inlet passage through said chamber to said outlet passage.

WILLIAM C. BUTI'NER. 

